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Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that affects the liver. When a person first contracts the virus, it usually causes no symptoms, but it begins a process of inflammation of the liver. Around 25% of people clear the virus naturally, but around 75% of cases progress to chronic Hepatitis C.

Over a period of around 20-30 years, if the liver inflammation is not treated, it can cause liver disease – fibrosis, cirrhosis, or liver cancer.

Symptoms do not tend to show late in the process of inflammation. People can reverse and manage liver inflammation through lifestyle changes – but the best option is to treat Hepatitis C and cure the source of the inflammation.

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus and is most commonly transmitted by sharing needles, syringes or other injecting equipment, including spoons. People also contract Hepatitis C from unsterile tattooing, body piercing or ceremony, or procedures where the skin is pierced with unsterile medical, dental or acupuncture needles.

Hepatitis C is not transmitted through¹:

• sharing toilets or showers
• sweat or washing clothes of someone with hepatitis C
• sharing cutlery, plates or cups and glasses
• eating food cooked by someone with hepatitis C
• sneezing, coughing, kissing or hugging
• swimming pools
• animal or insect bites (e.g. mosquitos).

1.  https://allgood.org.au/english/hcv/

Hepatitis C infection risk is higher in people¹ who:

• Have ever, or are injecting drugs
• Are men who have sex with men
• Are sexual partners of people with hepatitis C
• Have HIV or hepatitis B
• Are on opioid replacement or substitution treatment
• Have spent time in prison
• Have do-it-yourself or prison tattoos or piercings
• Had medical procedures, piercings, or body art overseas
• Received a blood transfusion, blood products or plasma clotting factor treatment before 1993
• Are health professionals or health service workers
• Populations with increased risk of hepatitis C:
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands
  • Pacific Islands, Māori
  • Egypt, Africa
  • India, Pakistan, Vietnam, China
  • Eastern Europe, Mediterranean

1. https://medicinetoday.com.au/2019/june/feature-article/eliminating-hepatitis-c-part-1-finding-your-patients-hepatitis-c 

The people most affected are people who inject drugs, and people who may have had tattoos or piercings while incarcerated. The association with illicit drug use and imprisonment can lead to stigma around Hepatitis C.

Like all blood-borne viruses, there are also misconceptions about how the virus can be transmitted. In a medical setting, it’s important to maintain standard infection control procedures – these are sufficient for managing a blood-borne virus, and clinicians and practice staff should not treat people differently because of their diagnosis.

Hepatitis C can be detected through antibody and RNA blood tests. Antibody tests tell us whether a person has ever had Hepatitis C, and may include people who have:

• chronic Hepatitis C
• cleared the virus naturally
• been treated for Hepatitis C.

An RNA blood test is required to confirm whether a person has a current hepatitis C.

In addition to venepuncture, additional testing options are available, including dried blood-spot testing and rapid testing. These alternatives to venepuncture may be especially useful for people who have poor venous access.

Hepatitis C treatments are simple and effective. Direct-acting antivirals are taken as daily medication (typically between one and three tablets daily) for 8-12 weeks. The treatments are well tolerated – most people have no or minimal side effects.

People can be re-treated multiple times if they are reinfected with Hepatitis C.

The treatments have a 95% cure rate. A follow-up blood test for Hepatitis C RNA can determine whether there is a sustained virological response (SVR) to the treatment.